Car-operated mechanism for opening and closing garage doors



H. EGGERS 1,789,674.'

CAR OPERATED MECHANISM FOR OPENING AND CLOSING GARAGE DOORS `lan. 20, 1931.

, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed July l5 /f JQCS ATTORNEY Jan. 2Q, 1931.

EGGERs y CAR OPERATED MECHANIS-M FOR OPENING AND CLOSING GARAGE DOORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July l5, 1928 iff/7.2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY "MyV invention relates to improvements in car-operated,V mechanisn1'-.` for opening.` and 1' Thepiimaify object-of the inventionzristo 6 provide mechanism connected With the doors vr'of vajgarage andfwhich isaotuated byga roller V which is mounted in thegdiiveway` Yleading to the garage,lin'V line lWithjthe Wheelslion oneKA iside of an approaching .fear-,- whereby the saidff v10 roller is -engagedandrotated bya Wheel'rof n :manually openedff to .permit77 can,v tovr be backed out of the gaage.

mechanism, whereby the doors'are free-to be swung outward, `by p'thepushing.v action the.

drawings in Whichzf Fig. 1 -s a planVieWQshowingthe door opening mechanism vconnectedV to apair 'of doors, and the manner in which the mechan'# ismV isj operated by an automobile. 1

mechanism illustratedi inf-the Y accompanying Fig. -2 is a Vertical transverse sectional 'View through agarage, showingqthe manner Which connect the same lWith' the 'operating rollerrin the-driveway. t 'Y Y *'Fig. Sis a vertical sectional View through vthe upper forwardend' portion of a garage,` showing inside `elevation;theslide bar., the

Fig.- 5 is a vertical longitudlnal sectional' ushered-Of 'the rollend-asap.-

port, Which is', rotated Jby one' ofthe rear I Wheels'of a car to operate 'thedoor opening -Y 50 mechanism, f f

Y Figures l5 and'6.y

Fig. 8 isa verticals Y Further, toffpi'ovide 'alatch orjthe' said doors which is connected {With thefdo'oi` op'en- 1 1' ing mechanism .in such mannen` as to be With-, y

drawn to release the dools immediately loe--4 one of lthe ifearwheelsof;

of supporting thefdoor opening mechanism, its connection- With the doors, ian'd the cables.

K ectionalilyi the same, and@ its operatingmeasrl if: f 1V f the 'oppositev ends of Vwhich are .piyot'ally cured tothe respectiVedoo-rs. Each'rod- Il to be'lengthened'or'shotenedsoas to'fgivej the4 properA opening landv closing' movements T99 .Y

to theI doors relative to thev @website f- 'gu-id@ A9 Qf the Slide plate aan@ atgthefof- Fig-.f 9'is'an enlargedfplan Vie ofthelajtcfzh60eV i the ear' and the mechanism is thereby oper. kand Y' f lated to openthe' saiddoors to admitv the cai", onto vclose/.the doors,v after' they have been,.-

Refer-ring to theaccom anying'draWings: hel numeral l designates theiside- 'wfalls:"ofVV ordinary@garage,` 2.3theiafters 'andf3 the Y sidevmembes or cafsingsiofgthe,doowayfto.65 Whichfaief hingeda'ipair v*of*fdoorfs4 inthe I usualgmanneif. @Toltheirafteifst aes'ecuned `dependingf`bracketspfand:6;.fthe'biacket5,-5 j :being Y^I 1e'ar the`,*"dooi-'vayll` 'I hesebia'ckets y @if -may beiof"any'suitableconstiuctionandlthy 70 support the opposite ends'lofaslide ban/, which isona'leyelziwithgthe yupper*fendpo-1' l t pl-tions [of 'thefdoorsfi Upon` this bari is 'mounted'fla"'slidqycomprising?a horizontal, plate', 8 having a longitudinal/guide'9fonzits i u f v. underside;.through Whichfthefslidebar 1'? i y v'p'assesfjthe:said'bai' being substantiallyfrefc'- tangulari-n cross section, and vthe-said guide fbeingo,correspondingshapetofipieventifa turning movement of the slide iuponfthe'ivbar. "80

The slide is provided;Withi'two'p'aallel loilgitudinalV yslots 'lO, vini-Whichk .are inseted `v thefright-angledends `of y21,1pair ofaiodsdl,y

ward end thereof, and this cable passes for- Yward and overfthe sheave wheell and thence to and over a sheave wheel Y A,

e which is mounted at the rear endjof anunplates X1, as clearly shown in Fig. `1. v thewheel 15C, the cable 19-passes to and is derground passage X ,which extends from the entrance end-ofthe garagato a suitable point on the driveway, and ,is .covered by From secured totheshaft "B, of a roller C, the shaft Bj being mounted in depending bearingsCl on ahorizontal plate C2, which y rests upon suitable supports and on a level face portion of the roller C projects;` `the highest point of `the roller beingon alevel with therface of the driveway. The ends of the roller .C arejbeveled or tapered, so that thehighest points of the said endsare onv a y level. with fthe kends of the openingV through which` saidfroller projects, as shown by Fig. 6. vBy thisarrangement, 'the ends of the roller, are protected, whilethe highest point oftheroller is above the' level Lof, the opening in the' .plate but on thesaurus-'level as'the driveway, thusenabling the wheellof `a carto engage the roller, Lalthough therol-ler `does not project way.

above the -level ofthe drive- A second cable issecured at one end to a lug 22 on the undersideof the guide9 and at `the rear end thereof, andrthis cabley passes over the sheave wheel 18 on the rear kbracket 6, and thence to and over the sheave vwheel 165011 the'frontbra'cket 5, and thence to and over al sheave wheel 21A which is mounted y in ythe bracketrAf'on the sameshaft with the wheel 15A, andl thence to and over al sheave i Wheel 21B, .on thefsame shaft with thewheel 15B, and thence vover a sheave Vwheel 21C at the rearend of they underground passageX,

and thence tothe shaft Bof the roller C, to which itis secured, `after being wound several times around'the said shaft, and in an oppositedirection tothe cable 19.

From the foregoing description 'taken in vconnectiony with drawings, it will be seen that when the roller C is lturned in the direction of the arrow-#see Fig. 5.#the cable 19 will be woundupon the shaft B while at Vthe ,in the slots 10l in the slide plate, and are at A4thus holdi the forward ends of the slots when the plate is at itsrearmos't position, it will be seen that the saidplateywill be moved some distance forwardbefore the rear ends of the slots engage the rods, and startthe opening movements of thev doors; and this inoperative movement of the slide is Vto permit the Withdrawal of a. latchf22, which normally secures the doors 4 in closed positions, before the doorsfpstart to'open, as will now be described.

The llatch22'is slidably mounted in a guide 23 on onefofbthe doors, and its forward end portion'enters `akceper 2401i the other door, the doors in closed positions, as will be 'un erstood by reference'to Fig. 9.

which is rotatably mounted in 'bearings 28 .The rearendgof the latch is provided with a n f vertically vdisposed slot 2,5 through which p passes thecrank end 2690i a vertical rodl27, i with the face.V of.'4 the driveway. The, plate. C2, is concaved, as shown, andis formed with Van opening 'C3 through which the highest right; angledv leverf arm 29, .which extends y rearwardly'over andclose't'o the sheave wheel l5. This wheel 151 is provided with a number ofnipwardly projecting-pins 80,' one of which: will engage the 4end of the arm 29, whenthez wheel 15 is turned, andswing the same, thereby turning the rod 27, the crank fend. 26 of which will act to retract the latch 22. By providingthe lwheeljl with anum-|` bei' opins 30, some one of them will always be in position to engage thearm 29 g and the n end 'of this vvarm isr beveled, as shown in Fig'. `1,"soV .that as the'ydoors close, and the arm 29 passesover vto of the wheel 15, itr will be* guidedto one sideof any pinthat maychance -to be directly in its path. The latch is normally held in closed relation by a coil spring 31 which surrounds the rod 27 one end' of said spring beingsecured to the arm and the other end, tothe door. f When the 4opposing edges of the doors approach each other in closing, the beveledendof the latch will engage theedge ofthe opposite door whereby the filatch Vwill be moved inward;` but when 'the'doors are fullyclosed, the latch will be sprung into the keeper 241, by the spring 31,

lthus:securing the doors in'closed positions.

, VThemechanism is operated in the following 'manner :#-As fa car approaches the -doors of the garage,f.the rear right-.wheel 1s caused to engage the roller C in the driveway., and as it engagesthe roller, it ceases to act m 'propelling the car, particularly', if the driveway in clinefs upwardly toward the doors. Y The prothe rirht hand wheel, andthe left hand wheel will cease tofunction. .'Tbus thev roller C will be turnedl in the -direction of the arrow, as indicated in vr5, vandthe cableA 19 will` 'be y drawn upon and the slide plate Sjdrawn forfico ward thereby. During the'initial movement :of the slide plate, theleve'r arm 29'is engaged l ,Y

'tally?eonnecte'd'attheirends to aidislidefand o f I"sa'id'doofri's,arollenInountedin'said"driveway, jQ, "i having yan:extended'La'ide, l,and adapted'to'be winds under the saidshaft, so that when one :zo

by pin enfthewheel-I, and. thejlatch 22 is retract-echas previously'described. 1 jA j vThe ends of therods l'l'fare`V thenengaged` e l by the ends of the slot-S10 VKin theslide-plate, and the doors are thereby swung` openluntil z kthey engage the stops 4A, Aand thus preventy a further movement ont -th'e slidegplate," andv therefore, further rotation of the roller Ci The car then lpasses intothe garage, and the doors may be closed by pullingV on the cable 21. Y The-doors are opened'manuallyin orderglY to permit" thev earito bejbacke'd out of vthe' garage, and when the rear rightwheelengages the roller C, the mechanismfis .thereby loperate'dto close the do`ors.l Cable 19 winds over] the shaft Bfofthe roller C, and` thecablell cable is being `wound upon' the shaft, the other is nnwinding therefrom, If desired, the face of the `Vroller() may 'be ct'moavedl instead of;

Hat, asshown inthe drawings; y In Figures 7 andS is-illustrated aturnable which can-be employed in place'fof the roller C, and which is arrangedy as follows A suitablesupplort 32`is provided upon which rests acircular horizontal base ringj33, having an elongated inner ring 34, which is con- Depending arms 36 o extendffrom lthe-elongatedrmg 34, and'termin'ate inr a vv(,:ircular plateha'ving an'jupwardly projecting'oirv cularlug 8,8, which is inline with ,the axial center of the base ring 33. [The base ring has a bally race 39- provided with anti-friction', balls, and upon therballsrests a turn table 40- having a'circulargroove 41corresponding to the ball race.` The turn table is provided with,Y a depending hub 42, the lower end of which fits over the circular lug 38, and is hanged,- as

shown at 43. The circumferential edge of the;

turn table is formed with-1a dependinglip d' 43A, which surrounds the base ringiandpre-rY l opening through this ring is of increased dio ameten 4so as to permit the'flange 43 'on they,y

l .A vivent-s' lateral movement` of thesaidturn table on the ring. The elongatedfring v3,4 sur-V,

rounds the hub 4.2and bears against its for-` ward halt, and the remaining portion of the hub 'of the tur ring or removing it therefrom.

A single cable as in the case ofthe; rollerC, care being on one side of its axial'center'.

Having described my invention, what Iv claimas new and desire to secure by Letters '1 roller,

ass, glide ,infjoppositef directions Aaccording tothe for normally securing said'door's in closed p'oj-QfV Y Vsiti'ons, a rodrotatably securedfuponone of iv vj l said vdoors havinga lcrank en'd connected tok s'aid` latch and alright-angled upper vend which Y A Y v y Vextends'over one oisaidgsheave-wheels, and a pin VVon'saidsheav'e wheel for engaging said:

fposite ends n n table to be passed' there'7 `through in placing the turntable .on the base-v 44 may be emplo'yed,vwhich is wound several times around the hub 42, so,v that when one lap of the cable, is wound upon fthe hub, the other lapwill iinwindrtliere't'roin. The turn table is operatedbythe wheel of a'- car, A taken lthat the wheel engages the turn table wherebyone of ,curedatjon end t positely wound thereon,

as to move the@ same in opposite "directions,v 1 according to'thefdirection ofjrotation offsaid;` f f wherebylsaid slide is'causedeither to j-' push or pull upon ysaid-rods,thereby to o'penf" 'l forclose said doors a-latch for Vlasteningusaid'`l 2. The combination with doors anda drivewayileadingthereto;fof aslide 1` bar, a slide mountedthereon, rods pivotallyj` n connectedfat their endsto said doors, a roller mounted'in the driveway hav-A. f ing aneXtended axle and adapted to-be driven Y by the prolonged engagement therewith of. a rotating lautomobile wheel, cables lconnected e v l to Aopposite ends ofsaid'slide, theiror'iposite` c v y j endsbeing-connected'to andoppositely woundl nected to the outer Aring kby radial varms Bog' `upon the said-*extended axle,andfsuitablypo-.J\ y ,e sitionedsheave wheels-overjwhich'said cables? said cables'beingfadapted to move-said Y direction ofrrotation of,k said roller, a

right-angl rodl andy slide, said latch to release saidfdoors.` f Y ed upper end, ktherebytoiturnsaidl v fitta-tedfbyithgprologedi 'engagmemftheref with ofadriven,automobile-wheel, cableS-sey Y `-saidextendedaxleandopand' sheave rwheels-r overjwhichsaid cables pass, the-opposite endsI doors in'closed pos1ti'ons ;and'means operated fz The Vcombinationwith a pair of doors a driveway leadingtheretoof' afslide havingfparallel slots'therein, rods pivotally connected at oneendtozsaid doors, their op?, i ,i

terminating in right-angled porf- 1 extend through' the forward A ends y vof saidslots, aroller mounted in'.thedrivev'vayVA o' o jhavingan extendedaxle,,cables'connectedre-f,i115 i L V"spectively: tothefront and'rear endskrofwsaid c j slide, their` opposite endsbeingconnected to j Y t and oppositely'wound-:upon-saidextended V axle, andjfsuitablypositioned sheavel wheels@ cables pass; a latohfors'aid tions lwhich over r`which said ,Y I n doors, a rod rotatablyfsecuredto. one of-said vdoors,lhaving 'a right-'angledarm at'its upper end'whichextends over one ofl said -sheavev'n i 1255` wheelsfits lower endV terminating in a crank portion which connects with said latch,and.a said sheave wheelfonengaging sa-id',Vv ar1n`,j,said roller being rotated bythe driven e wheel of an automobileon said "driveway, Said Cables movesgsaid slide pin on toacuuse said to openrsad doors, the initilmmmentf'the.Shde'permittingvthe said 5 Vpdin t'o Aturn thelrotatable krod `and slide' the Ylatch -pziorI to y the opening movement. ofy tHe doors 1K. 

